1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for power generation by converting heat into mechanical and then electrical power or another form of useable energy.
Embodiments of the present invention relate systems and methods for power generation by converting heat into mechanical and then electrical power or another form of useable energy, where the systems and methods include a thermodynamic cycle including three interacting subcycles. The systems include either a heat recovery vapor generator subsystem utilizing a hot heat source stream or solar generator subsystem utilizing a heat transfer fluid to fully vaporize and superheat a richer and leaner working solution. The systems include a lower pressure turbine, a higher pressure turbine, at least six heat exchange units and the heat recovery vapor generator or at least nine heat exchange units and the solar generator subsystem. The systems also includes at least one separator or at least two separators and a scrubber and mixing and splitting valves for splitting and combining stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,708, and 5,572,871, power systems were presented that were designed to serve as bottoming cycles for combined cycle systems. These systems both had a specific feature which was the key to their high efficiency; both systems used intercooling of the working fluid in between turbine stages. Because the heat released during intercooling was recuperated, it was then used as an additional source of heating for the process of vaporization. This resulted in a drastic increase in the thermodynamical reversibility and correspondingly in higher efficiency of the power cycle.
However, in the prior art, this process of intercooling was performed in a special heat exchanger, a so-called “intercooler.” Such an intercooler requires that the streams of working fluid in both the tubes and the shell of the intercooler be at high pressure. Moreover, the intercooled stream in the prior art is in the form of a vapor, and therefore the heat transfer coefficient from the vapor to the intercooler tubes is low. As a result, such an intercooler must be a very large and very expensive high pressure heat exchanger. This in turn has a very negative impact on the economics of the entire system.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system designed to utilize high to medium temperatures sources to convert a potion of the thermal energy from these heat sources into electrical power.